Chapter 6

Blair groans as she pulls off her eye mask and reaches for her ringing cell phone. It's 4:45 AM, who could possibly be calling at this ungodly time?

She's about to hit ignore until she sees the caller ID.

Serena.

She has to mentally ready herself before she can answer it and when she does Serena sounds surprised that she answered.

"I thought you would have been sleeping, I was hoping I could just leave you a voicemail."

"I was sleeping, but what's up?"

"I've been thinking about our last conversation. I'm still mad at you, but I think we should meet up."

Blair's heart starts racing, "Really? I mean, okay! Where? When?"

"Central Park, you still remember right?"

"Yes, of course"

"Okay so what time would be good for you?"

"Well, I drop Paul off at school around 7:30 AM. I can meet you any time after."

"Alright, so Central Park, 8-8:15 ish?"

"Sure"

"Alright, I'll see you."

"Serena….. Thanks"

Serena just hangs up.

Blair is trembling with excitement. She isn't able to fall back asleep and when she wakes Paul up he sees that she's dressed up.

"What are you dressed up for mom?"

"Oh, I'm meeting someone very important puffin"

"Who?"

"Serena"

Paul immediately tries to convince his mom to let him skip school today and spend the day with her and Serena. She says no, and when he demands a reason why, she decides to tell him the truth.

"Because we have adult things to discuss. Adult things you don't need to hear."

He just looks down into his Fruit Parfait Dorota made for him and grumbles to himself. He's upset, but he knows that fighting would just be futile. He's never been allowed to stick around when "grown ups" have they're very "grown up" things to talk about.

He makes his displeasure known to her and ignores her the whole ride to school. When she leans over to kiss his cheek goodbye, he jumps out of the car and shuts the door.

Blair is a little hurt, but she can't hold it against him. After all she used to do the same to her mom and dad when she didn't get her way.

Blair is the first to arrive at the same spot where she and Serena reconciled after Blair found out about Nate. That seemed like such a lifetime ago.

The tables are turned now; back then Serena was the one that sinned against her and Blair was the one that needed to forgive.

This time, it is Blair's turn to say she was sorry and beg for a chance to make it up to her.

She sits on the bench and waits. Rehearsing her apologizes in her head.

She's so engrossed in her thoughts she doesn't notice Serena taking a seat next to her until she pushes a cup of coffee into her hand.

Blair looks up at Serena. Serena is looking straight ahead with a blank look.

"Thanks for coming" Serena says, still not looking at her.

Blair just nods.

"I got it just the way you like it"

Blair looks down at her cup of coffee and her vision blurs with tears.

She should have been the one to show up with Serena's coffee just how she likes it. She should have brought the peace offering.

"Serena, I'm so sorry. I should have stayed and tried to explain myself to you, but what was there to explain? I knew just how badly I had acted with Jenny and Nate, I knew how you felt about it, I know how angry you were with me and how I had used you to hurt Jenny. I was ashamed…. It was cowardly."

"Yeah it was" Serena says softly.

"I don't expect us to go back to how things were. I know that too much time has gone by, but I'd like to try to make it up to you. I need you to be there in Paul's life S, I need you to tell him all the things about me when I'm gone. You're the one that has the most memories of me."

Serena just takes Blair's hand and says, "Of course I will."

They sit there for a while.

Serena asks about Blair's cancer and Blair regurgitates her answers. She hates talking about how sick is.

They get quiet and Serena looks like she's going to cry. Blair puts her head on Serena's shoulder and whispers, "But I'm here now. I'm trying S, I'm going to be here as long as I can manage it."

Serena looks at her and manages a brave smile. Blair gives her a goofy grin and starts telling her about her time in Paris.

Tells her how being pregnant was such a wretched experience.

"I got so fat! And my ankles and feet! I couldn't wear any cute shoes! They'd swell up and I'd have to prop them up. Can you imagine? 3 months of only being able to wear Uggs and flip flops? It was awful! I almost cried when I was able to fit my feet into a brand new pair of Louboutin's" she exclaims and laughs.

Serena can't help but laugh, remembering how meticulous Blair was about how she looked.

Every strand had to be perfect, every garment had to fit her perfectly, and gaining 3 pounds would have sent Blair into a frantic neurotic panic. Yes, being pregnant must have been an ordeal for Blair Cornelia Waldorf.

She tells Serena about labor. It took 16 hours and it was awful.

Paul came out with a full head of black curls and tiny fists, screaming, red and angry at the world for what he had just been through. He quieted when he was passed to Blair. He looked at her with wide eyes and a look that said, "Don't I know you?"

Blair's eyes get wet at the memory and Serena can't help but wish she could have been there to see it.

When a chapter of Blair's end life and a new one started, one where Blair's focus wouldn't be on who she could topple so she could get ahead, but one where Paul sat at the center of Blair's everything.

Blair smiles and continues. She tells Serena how horrid it was the first time she changed Paul's diaper, that she almost called her mom and begged her to send Dorota to her. Serena can only smile and imagine Blair's horror at opening Paul's diaper and what she found in there.

Blair then tells her about her romances in Paris.

The financial advisor she had a 4 month affair with. He helped her build her portfolio and invest her money. She's incredibly glad she followed his advice because now she has a fortune to leave to Paul.

They parted amicably.

They had both been lonely when they had found each other. They were a way to pass the time and lonely hours of the night.

So Blair didn't take it personally when he asked her to meet him at a French Café in Montmarte and told her about the woman he had just met.

She smiles and tells Serena, "But I'd be lying if I said that he was horrible in bed. And his assistant had great taste. I got all the best purses during our time together" she smiles wickedly.

Serena throws back her head and laughs, "So Blair Cornelia Waldorf enjoyed the friends with benefits trend, got a nice stock portfolio out of it, and the season's hottest Hermes bag? I'm jealous!"

Blair smiles, "There was one guy I managed to fall in love with though."

Serena raises an eyebrow, "Oh? Do tell B! Inquiring minds must know!"

"If this ends up in the Spectator, you will never see Paul again" Blair teases.

She begins telling Serena about Guillaume.

He was funny, extremely handsome, and a wonderful painter. They had a passionate relationship for a year.

Unfortunately, he didn't tell her about his weakness for beautiful women and when Blair found out, she cut the canvas of his portrait he had just finished of her.

Right through her face, hoping she had ruined it.

He stitched it up and was able to sell it for a fortune. People like hearing stories like that about artwork and the red yarn he chose to stitch up her face added more to the portrait.

She was told it made her look dangerous.

Serena laughs, "Who bought it?"

"No clue! Somewhere, someone owns a nude portrait of me with stitching across my face!"

Serena jokes, "It's probably hanging above Chuck's fireplace!"

This gets them both giggling. It feels good to joke with Serena. Blair feels as though she is starting to get back to normal.

Serena catches her up on the Upper East Siders. Nate and Jenny are now married. Nate is still spear-heading the NySpectator and Serena is still writing her column for it. Chuck is, well Chuck.

Serena tells Blair about the last Thanksgiving dinner they had. Rufus had cooked up a wonderful dinner. Chuck showed up with the woman who is currently his wife. Unfortunately his wife at the time was setting the table. Chuck was drunk and was barely able to miss the fine china and turkey that flew his way. His current wife was not as nimble and got hit by a turkey leg.

"Really, you would have thought she had been shot with the way she was carrying on." Serena says while rolling her eyes.

It was a disaster. They ended up at a diner eating French fries. Serena jokes that it has become a Thanksgiving tradition with her family.

Chuck's divorce was quick and as soon as it was done he married wife number 2. Serena shakes her head.

"We all tried to talk him out of it, to just stay single, but you know Chuck."

Blair sadly nods her head. Yes she knows Chuck.

Serena tells Blair about Eric. Eric has been acting on his show and he has a starring role in a film that will begin shooting in California in a few months. He's heard about Paul and can't wait to meet him.

As far as men, well she had a reunion with Carter Baizen and though they tried to make things work, she realized that they had both grown up. What clicked between them when she was 19 no longer seemed to click now.

She had other encounters with men, but nothing serious.

Blair can only nod and understand.

Eventually Serena gets up and tells Blair she has to go. She's promised Nate that she would get her column to him by 6 this evening and if she doesn't get started on it she won't get it back to him.

Blair tells her that she's proud she stuck with it and can't wait to read it.

"Yeah, well I kind of feel silly. Talking about my life, what party I went to, who was there. But it's a job and it keeps me busy" Serena winks at her and leaves.

Blair sits at the bench for a little while longer. She sits with a faint smile on her lips. Right before she gets up to leave she whispers, "Thank you."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Blair heads home and waits for Paul . They spend a quiet night together and she helps him with his homework. After she puts him to bed she gets her phone and texts Serena again.

"Thanks for today S. It really means a lot to me"

"No problem B. It means a lot to me too"

Blair goes to her desk and looks at her calendar. She groans as she sees that she's got an appointment this Thursday to start her second round of chemo. But whatever, it needs to be done.

She shoots Humphrey a text asking him if he wouldn't mind taking Paul this weekend. She's going to be sick all weekend and doesn't think Paul needs to be here to witness it. Dan agrees and says that he will pick Paul up from the Penthouse on Thursday.

The rest of the week goes by uneventfully.

Paul is ready for Dan Humphrey in the Parlor when he comes in Thursday night. Blair is upstairs, agonizing in her bed.

Dorota sends Paul off with enough clothes to last a month and warns Humphrey that he better not return with any bed bugs or head lice.

Dan walks out of there shaking his head. Where do these people get the notion that Brooklyn is a third world country?

Paul's trust in Dan is starting to grow, but Dan knows he's still got a long way to go. He takes him to go watch movies, and they eat at the best bistros that Brooklyn has to offer. Jenny comes over Saturday night and they both let Paul beat them at scrabble. It's a great weekend.

Sunday morning Blair decides it's time to get rid of her hair. She sends Dorota out to get some clippers and they shave her head in the bathroom. Only after she's done and she's staring at her bald reflection in the mirror does she quietly ask Dorota to leave. Blair doesn't sob, but just silently cries as she looks at her reflection.

Later on that night Dan brings Paul over to the penthouse while Blair is eating dinner.

She hears the ding of the elevator and is suddenly worried about how her son will react to her hair. She should have explained everything to Paul before she shaved her head.

She walks to meet them in the parlor and Paul's eyes go wide when he sees her.

"Hey puffin!"

"What happened?" Paul's voice is trembling

Blair looks to Dan for some help, but he stares.

Blair puts on a brave smile and teases, "Oh you guys are going to hurt my feelings if you tell me you don't like it!"

Paul just looks at her, turns to Dan thanks him for the weekend and tells him he will see him later. He sprints up the stairs to his room.

Blair tries to follow him, but Paul closes and locks the door behind him.

She sighs and starts back down the stairs. Dan Humphrey hasn't left yet. He's just standing in the parlor watching her.

"What Humphrey?"

"You know you're going to have to tell him now right? He's a smart kid, he knows that something isn't right."

"Yes Humphrey, I'm well aware of how smart my son is." She can't help but sound bitter, she hates that Paul is angry at her and that Dan got to see it.

Dan continues to stare.

"It's rude you know, to stare." Blair says as she turns and walks back to her dinner.

To her surprise, Dan follows her. He even takes a seat at the table. She gives him an incredulous look, "I'm sorry, did I invite you to sit with me?"

"Shut up Waldorf, just eat"

She's about to say something back, but he's looking sternly at her and she's afraid if she goads him, they may end up fighting and she really doesn't have the energy to fight tonight. She's has to go upstairs and explain to the Paul why she won't be around forever. The thought makes her miserable.

Dan tells hers about their weekend. Tells her that Paul is starting to get a little more comfortable with him, but that it's going to take time.

He notices just how many bites of her dinner she eats before she pushes her plate away.

"That's all you're going to eat?"

Blair stares down Dan, "You want my scraps Humphrey? Or should I box it up for you to take to the starving children in Brooklyn?"

Dan looks at her hard and firmly says, "I'm not trying to fight with you Waldorf. We have a son together, the least we can do for him is be friendly towards each other."

Blair looks away, embarrassed, he's right of course. "You're right"

Dan sits back and looks at her bemused, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Don't be tacky Humphrey, you heard what I said"

He smirks at her and asks her, "So how are you going to tell him?"

She looks towards the stairs and says, "I'm just going to be honest. He's smart, he'll get suspicious once I start lying."

Dan agrees, "He is smart."

They fall into silence and Blair grabs her plate again and downs a few more bites.

She looks at Dan and sheepishly says between bites, "I need my strength, Paul can be like me at times."

Dan gives her a goofy grin and she feels her heart skip a beat. She remembers all the times in the past he had flashed that grin at her. Once while they were interning at W, another after she had managed to get arrested at her Bachelorette Party sharing her experience with Serena and Dan about drinking shots, and another at the airport, after she had been told that she wasn't as pretty as the "real "Blair Waldorf by a Samsonite toting girl.

She's lost in her thoughts of her past with Dan Humphrey that she's almost startled when he starts talking again.

"So when did you shave it?"

"This morning. I had Dorota do it. It was falling out and starting to get noticeable, so I figured why prolong the inevitable?"

Dan just nods his head, but he won't stop staring.

Finally he gets up to leave, but before he walks out of the dining room he turns to her and tells her, "He's probably going to be angry at first, but he will get over it. He's a thoughtful kid. You're lucky you have nice bone structure, you manage to look great bald. Good luck tonight Waldorf, and I will call you sometime in the week to see about getting Paul again."

He turns on his heel and heads out the penthouse. Blair sits there stunned. Stunned because they managed to get through a conversation without him getting angry, but mostly because he actually managed a compliment. It's not much, but she's hoping that she's starting to rebuild her friendship with Humphrey again.

Which is quite comical. Blair had spent most of her life looking down her nose at people like Dan Humphrey. The idea that she was desperate to regain her friendship with Humphrey was ironic.

She smiles to herself and it gives her hope.

She cleans off her plate in the sink, and heads up the stairs.

Paul lets her into his room and she sits on his bed and tells him. He's not angry. He's full of questions and when she's done answering them, he doesn't cry. He just looks at her sorrowfully. It breaks her heart and she ends up crying.

She doesn't leave him that night. She stays in his bed and buries her face into his dark curls. They smell of Dan's Head and Shoulders shampoo.

They fall asleep together. It's the first real restful night Blair Waldorf has had since returning to New York.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

If it seems a bit rushed it's because it is. I'm really trying to get this story done before May and so I'm trying to get these chapters out as soon as I can. I keep adding chapters to what I already have written out and I'm afraid of how long this story may get. My apologies if you don't like it.

As always thank you for reading and I really do appreciate all the reviews